Iowa to become latest state to allow guns in its Capitol

Des Moines, Apr 12 (AP) Iowa is set to become the latest state to allow gun owners to keep firearms at their side while visiting the state Capitol, a move that has raised questions about how security workers would deal with armed visitors.

When Republican Gov. Terry Branstad signs the measure Thursday as part of a wide-ranging gun bill, it will mirror similar activity at statehouses around the US in recent years.

Under the provision approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature, any US resident with a valid weapons permit could bring a concealed handgun into the Iowa Capitol. About 275,000 people in Iowa have such a permit.

The provision would require building security staff to resolve staffing and training issues before it takes effect July 1.

The current setup has visitors passing through metal detectors at the building’s two basement entrances, which are staffed by unarmed security guards. Armed state troopers also staff the Capitol and building grounds, though their locations and hours aren’t disclosed.

Part of the challenge will be figuring out how often armed visitors would come to the Capitol, said Capt. Mark Logsdon, who heads Capitol security.

“Is this something that you’re going to encounter every day, or maybe a day or two a week?” he asked.

Capitol security will need new guidelines, which must be approved in a rules-making process that can take several weeks and allows for public comment, said Ross Loder, bureau chief for weapons permits at the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The Iowa Department of Administrative Services, which oversees the Capitol grounds, would write the rules. The department is “still determining what needs to be done pending the bill being signed,” spokeswoman Tami Wiencek said in an email.

At least 17 states allow guns in their Capitols, according to data compiled by the National Rifle Association’s lobbying arm, the Institute for Legislative Action.

The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates the figure is slightly higher, with an upward trend in the last five years.

Among states that allow guns in their Capitols, Kansas, New Mexico and Utah have no restrictions, while Florida, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wisconsin allow only concealed permit holders to be armed. Missouri and Arkansas enacted Capitol gun provisions this year.

“Iowa state lawmakers know it is hypocritical of them to allow carry elsewhere but to ban it in the Capitol building,” Catherine Mortensen, a spokeswoman for the NRA lobbying group, said in an email. “In the halls where freedom is celebrated, freedoms should be exercised.”

While Logsdon feels his staff can handle monitoring new weapons in the Capitol, he does have some concerns about how guns will mix with heated debates and big crowds as lawmakers take up divisive issues. (AP)